Everything Burns
by ConsistentlyInconsistent
Summary: From trees and earth to flesh and bones, everything burns at the right temperature. But sometimes the most dangerous flames are the ones in our hearts. [Under Revision]
1. The Beginning Factor and the End Result

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything but an idea and a laptop…and a massive collection of medications

DON'T SHOOT ME!! . I'm still working on "DIOtB"…I actually have EVERYTHING planned out (which is kind of an amazing thing if you really know me), but I've been bed-ridden for the past 2 weeks from various things and (being too depressed to actually write) spent most of my time sleeping and reading…and reading led to thinking…and thinking led to a new idea -.- I know…another one, but that's just the way it goes. So here is another crossover (cause I loves da crossovers). Hopefully it will get the same (or close to the same) acclamation my other crossover got. Here's hoping! Without further ado, I present:

Everything Burns

Chapter 1: The Beginning Factor and the End Result

The morning air was cool and crisp. Kagome lay away in her sleeping bag simply taking in the subtleties of what nature had to offer that day. She was in the open air of her group's camp site. Their fire had long since gone out, but a few embers still gave off a soft glow in the remaining ash and the smell of burning wood lingered in the nearby fabrics the smoke had seeped into the night before. The trees were still hiding their waking inhabitants in dark shadows before the sky, currently painted with a pale grey and threads of orange, could brighten to the luminous blue of day.

Deciding that it was time to start getting ready for breakfast, Kagome remained in her sleeping bag a few moments more as she stretched her hands above her head and felt the dew from the surrounding grass wet the backs of her hands. She slowly sat up as not to wake Shippo, who slept snuggled up to her side, and set out to gather some more firewood from a stockpile they'd made the night before a few feet away from the camp.

She loved the tranquility that this time period offered with the breaking dawn. In her era people were already starting their cars and making their way to work or school in a loud fashion that they'd all grown accustomed with. She felt pity for them that they would never know this kind of peace. But to say this era was always so calm would be a grave inaccuracy.

This world saw things on a daily basis that you would rarely see or hear of in hers. The people here were conditioned from infancy to deal with brutal and bloody wars, famine, disease, death, and even demons as a normal way of life. But right now, as the first few rays of light were chasing the shadows away, it seemed like nothing could ever be wrong with the world again…

Until her inner peace was disrupted by the tensing of her muscles at the presence that that skated along the edge of her senses. After some practicing with the help of Shippo and Kilala, she had finally been able to sense demon energies along with the energy from the shards. This particular energy had made its first appearance about three months ago and she still didn't have any kind of face or figure to attach to its presence. She had asked the others about it and of course they had sensed it too, but Sango told her that if it hadn't made itself known at that point then it wasn't likely to pose a threat.

Despite the reassurances that she'd been given, Kagome couldn't bring herself to feel comfortable with this unknown demon yet. It definitely wasn't the strongest demon she'd felt, but she was sure she would have a hard time defending herself away from the others if it became aggressive. And there were other things that were off about it, like the fact that no matter how close or far away the energy felt there was never any sight, smell, or sound to accompany it. Most demons with lower energies at least made some sort of sound when they moved through forests. And even though there wasn't anything about its energy to support it, there was always a tingling feeling on the back of her neck that there was something there she wasn't getting.

With a quick shake of her head and an increase of her pace, Kagome pushed those thoughts aside just as she came back into the small clearing where her companions were starting to stir from their sleep as well. With a cheerful smile she put down the fresh firewood and turned to her friends to ask, "So whose turn is it to go fishing for breakfast?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hiei leaped from branch to branch among the trees making his way back to the small group he'd been following for the past few months. Or to be more precise, making his way back to the priestess he'd been following. He couldn't begin to imagine how many times he'd asked himself why he kept coming back to this woman-child and her hodge-podge group, but he knew that no matter how unlikely they were that he had his reasons.

It had been almost two years since he'd had the Jagan Eye implanted in his forehead and he was still cursing the loss of so much of his power. He'd recovered and trained his speed and swordsmanship under Shigure so that he could continue the search for his sister. Since she'd left the Koorime village in search of him he'd been looking for any hints or clues as to where she might have gone, but he hadn't been able to find anything even with his implant. And then he found the closest thing to a lead he'd come across yet: a bizarre human priestess.

He had been trying to get some much needed sleep when the sounds of battle reached his sensitive ears. And of course, being who he was, he couldn't let the chance to increase his power pass him by. He'd followed the sounds of metal ringing through the air when he came to the odd sight. There was a demon slayer, monk, half-demon, and fire cat all working together as a single unit against a very large scorpion demon. He briefly noticed a young woman and a fox child on the outskirts of the battle ground, but dismissed them just as quickly.

He tried to rationalize his way through the group, but he just couldn't wrap his mind around it…and it annoyed him to no end. Monks weren't a rare breed, but they were supposed to exorcise demons not work with them. Then there was the demon slayer. The last he had heard they were supposed to have been wiped off the map, but here was one fighting with deadly precision right before his eyes. He'd heard of a race of fire cats, but this was his first time ever actually seeing one. And then there was the half-demon; they usually kept to themselves if they even made it past adolescence. Their kind was hated as much as he was.

His attention went back to the inappropriately dressed girl when the fox child she'd been holding called out for her to stop. She had placed him at the base of a tree and was now running towards the battle with a bow in hand and quiver of arrows strapped to her back. Her face was set with such a determined look that Hiei had scoffed at the notion that must have been in her head that she would make a difference. But she was about to give him the first surprise of many.

She stopped a short distance away from where her friends continued to fight as she pulled one of her arrows and took aim. She waited for the right opportunity before yelling, "Inuyasha!!" Then she let her arrow fly when she saw the half-demon's short nod. The moment the arrow left her fingers it was surrounded by a blinding light-pink energy that pushed it forward with an intense speed. The one now identified to him as 'Inuyasha' released his own special attack that left the two powerful energies merging and twining together before ripping apart and purifying the large beast they'd been fighting against.

He watched with thinly veiled shock as the small human had traipsed right up to the ashy remains and plucked out a dark sliver of a jewel before it turned to a dazzling pinky-white in her palm. 'A priestess??' He'd thought.

The other members of the odd group quickly surrounded her with smiles and praises except for Inuyasha who began yelling at her for running into battle unprotected, no doubt. But that tirade only lasted for so long before an angry blush tinted her cheeks and she yelled, "SIT!!"

Inuyasha was forcefully dragged to the ground as the young, perplexing priestess turned her nose up in a huff and turned away from him sharply to walk in the opposite direction with her dark hair swishing behind her. The other group members merely shook their heads at was appeared to be a common occurrence between them and followed after the miffed human.

As time passed he had learned more about the amazing, foolish, warm, enigmatic creature named Kagome. He'd originally started following them (her) because of a rumor he had once heard that priestesses were connected with the Koorime as that was who they had learned the art of healing and serenity from. It had been a shot in the dark that hadn't turned up any direct results, but it had been a far more entertaining time of false leads than he'd had in the past.

Many rumors passed through the small group and he would occasionally hear something that he would want to investigate himself, but each lead would give him a dead end and he would always return to watching the priestess. Sometimes he would return and she would be gone only to return a few days later. He had yet to see where she went during these times, but as long as she continued to come back he didn't really care.

He had never seen anyone, human and demon alike, who dressed, talked, or acted like this girl. Her short skirts showed off far too much skin for her to any kind of noble, but she was cleaner than any creature than he'd ever encountered. She would sometimes use odd terms that he wasn't familiar with and strung her words together in a different fashion than most others. It was more relaxed and often lacking in formality (and sometimes logic). But what was probably the most interesting was her temperament.

She was caring and warm to almost all creatures, but had a fiery side that could appear at a moment's notice. Most women (human women especially) were raised from birth to be quiet, submissive creatures that never talk back to men or speak out of turn. But this human girl was different. She spoke her mind whether she was right or wrong and stood by what she said. She wouldn't back down from the yelling contests that she often got in with Inuyasha, even when he would be no more than a few inches from her face. But he would always catch the smallest ghost of a smile tugging at his lips when the fire would spark and dance in her eyes just before she would yell the one word that would send the dog-eared boy plummeting to the earth.

He had never been fond of humans, and couldn't imagine that he ever would be, but something about this one kept him coming back even as the chances of her ever being a viable lead shrank. And that's what he found himself doing now. He was on his way back to continue his observations and listen for any other rumors that could tell him something about his sister's location.

He knew that she felt him when he was near. He remembered her asking her friends about his presence and could still feel anger well up in his chest when they casually dismissed him as nonthreatening. It was the damnable eye that had diminished his power so much, but he had asked for it so there was nothing and no one to blame but himself.

Hiei slowed his pace when he got closer to where Kagome was currently gathering wood and smirked slightly with a little bit of sadistic satisfaction when he felt the tension cloud the air. At least he could still make some people nervous…he just tried not to think about the fact that it was a human girl who couldn't have been older than sixteen or seventeen. But despite her movements becoming slightly more rigid, Kagome finished her task and made her way back to her group to discuss who would gather breakfast that morning.

Deciding to make himself comfortable in the boughs of a large tree that was nearby, he listened as they talked about which direction to continue in while the fox child, Shippo, went to the closest river with Inuyasha to gather fish. He had heard of the demon, Naraku, which they were seeking to destroy but had deemed vile being inconsequential to his immediate goals. All he was concerned with at this point in time was locating his sister and gaining back his power.

~*~*~*~*~*~

That morning continued as any so many others had before it. Kagome cleaned up the camp site after breakfast was finished and packed her things tightly in her trusty, yellow backpack as the others checked their belongings and surveyed the conditions of their various weapons. Once everyone was ready they began their journey again. There had been a rumor of a large gathering of demon wasps about a half-day's travel to the south so that's what they were targeting today. If it proved to be true it could mean there was a jewel shard near, Naraku was planning something in that area, or Naraku himself was there. All three options were favorable, but the last option made the group nervous even if nobody voiced the concern.

If the real Naraku was that close they weren't positive that their group alone would be enough do defeat him at this point. There were other allies, such as Koga, or at least enemies of Naraku, like Sesshoumaru, who would greatly increase their chances. They had talked about a few battle plans in case the situation arose, but nothing had been agreed on as a solid plan.

They talked and joked with one another as they walked down the dirt road, and Kagome thought about how grateful she was for her friends that acted as a second family. Even though she would never dare to utter a word about it to Inuyasha, she secretly hoped that Naraku wasn't what waited at the end of their chosen road today. Not only would fighting Naraku put her friends in danger of injury or worse, but if they fought him today and won then they would be much closer to finishing the jewel and she would be much closer to returning to her time.

None of them were sure exactly what would happen once the jewel was completed as nothing like this had ever happened before, but something told Kagome that she wouldn't be able to stay. It wasn't anything that she would be able to justify if she was questioned, but whenever she thought about it her chest would tighten and when she would think that maybe, just maybe, she would be allowed to stay there was a small voice that always told her not to kid herself. As much as she might want it to be, this wasn't her home and it never really would be. She was a modern, twenty-first century girl and she always would be.

But whenever that voice started to get her down she would remember that she was with her friends now and that's what counted. She was in a place where she could feel normal with her knowledge and abilities, and she wasn't going to let that pass her by. She looked up from where her eyes had strayed to her feet and to the back of the half-demon who had worked his way into her heart. Smiling brightly, she asked Miroku to hold her backpack before running forward and jumping on Inuyasha's back to wrap her arms around his neck.

Her laughter filled the air when his hands automatically hooked under her legs to hold her in place right before he started off on his tangent as her hands found their way to his soft, velvety ears. "What the hell do you think you're doing, woman?! Do I look like your damn personal carrier??"

"Oh hush, I know you like it when I play with your ears. So stop griping and just enjoy it!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hiei watched from the trees a fair distance away as Kagome ran and jumped onto the half-breed's back. He could hear the yelling that ensued, despite his holding her in place, and Hiei could only think of the foolishness of it all. It was obvious to anyone with functioning eyes or ears and even a fraction of a brain that the two were attracted to each other. Neither was willing to admit it out loud, but it really went without saying…or at least it should have. The only ones who appeared ignorant to the fact were the two at the center of it all.

They fought like…well, like cats and dogs but fought for each other with the same ferocity. He could see how the boy pushed her away despite his feelings and Hiei often found himself cursing the silver-haired young man's name. 'The idiot should take the affection offered to him,' he thought.

He knew all too well how fierce and cold and cruel the world could be to those with opposing blood lines running through their veins. It was a miracle that the dog had found someone to tolerate his attitude at all, much less a young woman with a heart large enough to overlook WHAT he was for WHO he was instead.

One time Hiei had caught himself thinking that it would be nice to have someone like her by his side, someone to tell the world that there was nothing wrong with him, someone to show him a gentle touch, someone to smile upon his arrival…but those thoughts had been swiftly banished and he chastised himself for days for even letting his thoughts drift to such ridiculous notions. He didn't need anyone. He didn't want anyone. And nobody needed or wanted him.

That was the way things were supposed to be, and that's why he had shut himself off to the world.

He liked his solitude. He loved his independence. He didn't need anyone, especially a woman, to hold him back or tie him down. These were his constant thoughts. But there was always a part of him that asked why he felt the need to constantly tell himself these things if they were really true.

He didn't have an answer for that and that only left him feeling empty and angry. So setting his face into an indifferent mask instead of the slight frown that had made itself present, Hiei picked up his pace once more and watched as the group continued with their usual odd interactions.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The shard hunters came across a small farming village in the late afternoon and inquired from a few people if they had heard rumors of a large horde of demonic insects. Their eyes brightened when the villagers told them that there had been large groups of wasp-like creatures following a powerful but half-crazed bear demon near the base of a nearby mountain. Thanking the men for the information, the group wasted no time in making their way towards a possible shard or two.

When they got closer to the mountain, Kagome announced that she felt several shards ahead of them. But the closer they got the more anxious she became. Something didn't feel right about the situation. She didn't want to worry the others or have Inuyasha tell her she was overreacting so she stayed quiet. She tried ignoring the quickening of her pulse and brought her hands up to smooth down the hairs on the back of her neck that rose up, but the further they walked the more something in her head screamed that this was wrong.

She could still feel the power of the shards she could sense the power of the demon they were looking for, but she couldn't figure out why her stomach was twisting the way it was. And then as she heard a twig snap as she stepped on it she realized what wasn't right. Everything was dead silent. The energy of the bear demon wasn't moving, there were no sounds to be heard, and she hadn't seen one of Naraku's insects since they entered this forest.

She felt her breathing quicken as adrenaline hit her blood-stream and she reached a lightly shaking hand out with the intent to grab Sango's arm to speak with her. In a soft voice, "Sango-" was all she managed to get out before a large crash was heard to their right along with the splintering of wood and the roar of the large bear.

Inuyasha grabbed her waist and pulled her back and out of range for the demon's claws. She watched with wide eyes at what was happening in front of her. The wasps were stinging the bear to put it in a rage and then herding it in their direction. The bear was dying and angry and was demolishing anything in its path.

Her friends took up different positions to fight against the beast and protect her and Shippo. To do her part unless she was absolutely needed, Kagome picked up the youngest member of their little family and backed away some more to stay out of the way. She watched and listened to claws clashing with metal and deafening roars, all the while unconsciously scooting back inch by inch until she heard a familiar voice that had chills running down her spine.

"Hello Kagome," the deep voice practically purred off to her right.

Kagome's head snapped to meet the voice of Naraku, but her eyes widened when she felt her heel catch a protruding tree root and knock her off balance. She hugged Shippo tight to her chest and closed her eyes when she saw an offending tentacle shoot out at her falling form, but she hadn't expected to actually hit the ground. At the same time she felt and heard her body collide with the hard earth, she heard another thud a few feet to her right. Looking up she saw the end of a severed tentacle lying on the forest floor before it disintegrated and then looked to Naraku's form just in time to see his body vanish and one of his dolls fall into not just two pieces but several pieces upon the grass.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hiei watched the group face their newest threat all for the sake of these jewel shards they'd charged themselves with gathering. He would critique them as they fought, mentally berating them for a sloppy stance or an inefficient or unnecessary move. The demon slayer possessed the best technique even if she wasn't the most powerful, but that wasn't very surprising considering her heritage. He continued to watch as usual until he noticed that Kagome kept moving backward.

His eyes strayed after her but turned to another when she was addressed. What sounded like a man was sitting upon a large rock in a baboon pelt and Hiei decided that he didn't like this individual immediately. Something about the sound of his voice was misleading and it didn't sit well with him. He watched Kagome's reaction while thinking to himself, 'Move girl…get away from here.' But his eyes widened as she began to fall and be attacked simultaneously. "Damn!" He cursed under his breath as he left his branch.

He did away with the offending tentacle before turning his blade onto what he was surprised to find was a puppet of sorts. He had just reached his normal cover of leaves and branches when her back collided with the ground. She opened her eyes and looked around in pure confusion before scanning the immediate area and finally settling her gaze back on her friends ahead. 'Foolish human,' he thought. 'She should be dead right now.'

But despite his thoughts, Hiei found himself glad that she was still amongst the living.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome watched as the bear demon was put out of its misery and he insects were kept away until she could arrive and purify the shards that had fallen to the ground. She added them to the collection in the small jar she wore around her neck and debated on whether or not to tell her friends what had happened.

Knowing Inuyasha, he would probably take their follower's sort-of appearance and display of swordsmanship as a possible threat and try to get rid of them now. But Kagome didn't want the demon follower to leave. They had saved her and she would keep their appearance a secret for the time being.

They made their way back to the village they had passed and told them that the bear demon was taken care of. The village leader offered them a place to stay for the night and they gratefully accepted the old man's hospitality. It wasn't long before night fell and Kagome excused herself to bathe after asking Inuyasha if he could smell a hot spring anywhere near.

She took her bow and arrows with her just to be safe, but felt the familiar demon energy following her and didn't think she'd need them. It was odd, she thought, how just that morning the same energy had made her tense and nervous, but now she felt almost protected.

When she arrived at the steaming water's edge, she placed her things on the ground before turning to look up into the trees and say, "I'm going to get undressed now. No peeking!" She had no way of knowing if they had complied, but she could now at least pretend that they had.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hiei nearly rolled his eyes at her empty warning. If he had wanted to see her nude form he would have had plenty of opportunities before now. But no matter what the world saw him as, he did have a sense of honor and therefore situated himself on a branch that was facing away from the spring.

When he heard sloshing and a contented sigh he knew that she was in the water, and he closed his eyes to relax and wait until she was finished with her almost nightly ritual. His ears easily picked up the familiar and almost mechanical noises of the opening and closing of containers and his nose tickled at the sweet scents of the soaps she used on her hair and body. Time passed and things got quiet. He knew that she was relaxing much the same that he was now, and he was content to wait until she decided to head back. But she surprised him yet again when she spoke.

"I know you're out there somewhere. I don't know who you are or what you are, but you saved me. Thank you."

Things were quiet for a few moments before the sounds of her stepping out of the water were heard, and as she got dressed again he merely sat in a stunned silence. To his knowledge and memory, that was the first time that anyone had ever thanked him for something. She had never seen his face or heard his voice, but she thanked him as she would anyone else.

He watched as she passed under the tree he occupied and he followed her back to the village until she was with her friends again. She was safe now and since they had collected some of those shards they would be heading back to their own village in the morning. Knowing this Hiei left them alone to continue on his own search for a few days.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was another early morning as Kagome inched her way around the edge of Kaede's village and, making sure the coast was clear, darted into Inuyasha's forest. She had just broken from the tree line and was in the clearing that housed the well when she heard Inuyasha's voice from behind her yell, "Kagome!! You can NOT go home yet!"

She knew he was gaining on her and when she felt him get within a few feet of her she whispered over her shoulder, "Okay Shippo, now!" And with that the small fox demon jumped out of her backpack and transformed into his giant pink ball to slow down the infuriated half-demon.

Just as she reached the well Kagome yelled out, "Sorry Inuyasha! I'll be back tomorrow, I promise!" And she was gone in a blue flash of light.

When she landed on the other side, Kagome quickly climbed the rope ladder and ran from the well house to go straight down the steps to the waiting street below. She had cleaned everything out of her backpack except for her school supplies so that Shippo could fit for their little distraction. She laughed to herself as she ran down the street. There was nothing quite like having a plan be perfectly executed on the first try!

She continued her run to school so that she wouldn't be late, but started losing speed as a familiar energy pricked at the edges of her senses. It was such a familiar feeling, but something was different about it all at the same time. She eventually came to a stop where she felt it the strongest and looked around the street.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hiei found himself sitting at a table with Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara inside a café in the human world listening to what they had been gathered for. His normal scowl was in place, but below that he was almost seething. He hated being around so many humans and had yet to be told why they had been summoned so early in the morning. He somehow felt that Yusuke and Kuwabara shared most of his plight this morning.

Yusuke more or less ignored any responsibilities he would have as Raizen's last of kin in favor of living in the human world with Keiko. Kuwabara had surprised everyone and continued on with his education and was now in college, as was Kurama which everyone expected; though Kurama still made the occasional trip into the demon world to check on Yomi and see how Shura's training was progressing.

Hiei was usually found near the border between the worlds to guard against anyone crossing over from either side. But it was occasions like this that led him deeper into the mass of humanity than he would have liked. Even after Enma had disbanded the Spirit Detectives, Koenma had started paying them under the table to go on missions that needed their attention. Botan had contacted them before daybreak and had told them to meet at the café. Now she was late.

He watched the humans on the street passing by through a large window at the front of the eatery, but was instantly sitting up straight and at attention when one human caught his eye. His hands were gripping the edge of the table and his eyes were wide as he took in her appearance. She was exactly as he remembered her. Long, black hair that fell down her back in waves, pale and perfect skin, and her eyes were what told him it couldn't be anyone else.

For just a moment she looked into the café and her bright azure eyes locked with his shocked scarlet ones and they held each other's gaze. But the moment was broken when a local school bell tolled the time and she smiled at him briefly before running off toward the large building.

The other occupants of the table had of course noticed this sudden, and completely out of character, outburst and stared on in a wary silence. "Hiei?" Kurama eventually asked with an air of caution. When he didn't get a response he tried a more direct method of communication. 'Hiei.' The red-head addressed through their mental link. 'What's wrong?'

'It was that girl…'

'She was very pretty. Do you know her somehow? Or recognize her from somewhere??'

"Hey runt, what's wrong with you?" Kuwabara asked. "You know Kagome??"

Hiei's eyes instantly snapped to the tall human, but luckily Kurama voiced what was running through his head. "You know her too?"

"Yeah. I live next door to her friend, Ayumi. She used to come over a lot when we were kids and Sis would baby-sit all of us. I haven't seen her around much in the past couple of years though. Ayumi said she's always really sick or something." Kuwabara explained.

'Is she the same girl you know, Hiei?' Kurama asked him silently.

'She's the same one. But the last time I saw her she wasn't sick, Kurama. She was dead.'

~*~*~*~*~*~

AN:  
okay well I hope you enjoyed! As some of you know, this is a fairly long chapter coming from me =] anyway, again, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. The title of the story is definitely subject to change…but it may stay the same…never know. Okay, well let me know what you think. Keep it, ditch it, put it on the back-burner for now?? See you guys next time!!


	2. Demons and Picnics

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything but an idea and a laptop…and a massive collection of medications

AN: before I get started…I just have to say hello to a couple of people. HalfBlackWolfDemon, who has experienced my fangirlyness in another story, and Chrystal-Hearts are two of my favorite crossover writers! It's weird to know that authors I like read my stories too…but it makes me push to be a good writer. Anyway, you guys should check out their work, it's awesome! Also, a big thank you to everyone who reviewed!! Okay, well trying to keep this short, I present for your reading pleasure Chapter 2…

Chapter 2: Demons and Picnics

Blood could be seen scattering through the air in tiny droplets before another lifeless body landed on the ground with a solid thud. Hiei didn't yet bother to clean the red liquid from his blade as he moved on to his next target. He had hated being a lapdog for Reikai before, but on days like this he found that it was a good way to release his frustrations. After seeing what could only be called a ghost from his past, hundreds of questions had flooded his mind. And with no answers anywhere in sight he had started contemplating just burning down the damned café they'd been sitting in to escape his three companion's questions and stares.

But before he could make up his mind the ever-upbeat ferry girl made her appearance with the details for their next assignment. "Hello boys!" Botan greeted. "Sorry to call you out of bed at such an early hour, but we have a small problem that does require immediate attention. Let's go outside to talk, shall we?"

"What is it this time, Botan?" Yusuke asked as they rounded a corner to stand in a vacant alleyway and he leaned back against the wall pushing a hand through his dark hair.

"Well apparently a group of human teenagers found an old book we weren't aware of that actually had some valid conjuring spells inside. To make a long story short, they held a ritual and opened a portal to the demon world in a warehouse on the other side of town last night. It started out so small that it didn't even show up on our radars, but some demons found it and have been working on expanding it. I don't think I need to tell you what will happen once they can start getting through."

"And what would our specific job be in this endeavor?" Kurama questioned. It was always best to have the specifics beforehand.

"I'll be able to close the portal," the blue-haired girl explained. "But the demons would be making their way through before I could finish. I need you four to make sure none get through by any means necessary. It may require entering the demon world to push them back and take preemptive measures. Well come on, we have work to do!" She declared as she made a short-cut out of a portal and herded the men through.

And that's where Hiei found himself now; fighting back the gathering group of human-hungry demons under the red skies of Makai. He almost rolled his eyes when Yusuke yelled to Botan asking how much longer it was going to take her. 'He should learn to accept that things will be done when they're done…and until then learn to enjoy a good challenge.' He thought with a small smirk as he twisted to take down two more opponents in a single movement. It wasn't often that they got to fight like this anymore and he for one was enjoying the break in life's monotony.

It was times like this that he was able to think back to the days when battles were fought for honor and earned power instead of the underhanded bureaucratic advancements that were so common now. He was able to remember the days of his search for Yukina. Remember days when things weren't so tainted and complicated. He could remember the days _she_ was there. "Hiei!" Kurama's voice snapped him out of his momentary reverie.

Hiei looked up just in time to see the almost feral demon to his right take a swipe at him. He was able to dodge the strike, but that left just enough of an opening for the red monster to make its way through the portal in into the city. "Damn." He cursed under his breath as he followed after it.

This particular demon wasn't incredibly strong or smart, but it compensated with a small size that made it fast and agile. All it had to do was attack a human child for its lunch and that would put Hiei right back under mandatory service to Koenma again. And that just couldn't be allowed to happen. No longer being able to see the little creature left Hiei little choice but to use the jagan to track the path it was taking. It wasn't too far from where they had met that morning and was slowing down.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome stood outside leaning against the school-issued bow for support. The activity for the girl's P.E. class just had to be archery…because she apparently just didn't get enough of it in the past. The teacher was finishing what the goals for that class period would be when she felt the pricking of demonic energy heading towards her school. 'Great,' she thought. 'Maybe this won't be as bad as the incident with the dehydrated demons.' The thought of that day still made her cringe.

But then there was another, more familiar, energy approaching behind the first one. The other girls were getting their first arrows ready to begin the exercise when the first energy stopped in the bushes lining the fence behind their targets. Although she couldn't see it, she could practically feel the demon's eyes weighing down the small jar of shards that hung around her neck. "Let's see if I can make this discreet…" She mumbled to herself as she stuck the tip of her tongue out in concentration and she pretended to take aim at the target. When the teacher gave the signal all of the girls released their arrows, but Kagome adjusted her aim at the last second to cut across to a section of the greenery one target over.

A small scream was heard but was mainly covered up by the teacher yelling out to her, "Concentrate, Higurashi!!"

"Yes ma'am." She answered with a small apologetic bow and a smile as she felt the energy disappear. Her follower's energy remained for the next couple of firing sequences but soon left. At least she had a face to go with the energy now. The only thing missing was a name and she could count another demon as at least a semi-friend. At this point if it didn't try to kill her, kidnap her, or steal from her it was a friend. Even if that was how she met her current makeshift family from the past, everyone had proven themselves to be good at heart with a second chance.

The rest of her classes went by relatively painlessly, except for a test or two she had to make up, and before she knew it her school day was over. Of course her friends had to drag her into town so that they could eat, catch up on things, and maybe do a little shopping. They could be a little pushy at times but Kagome loved her friends and the time she got to spend with them. It was nice to talk about boys and fashion as the biggest problems in life instead of battle plans and possible allies they could call on when the time arose. Her time with them made her feel normal when her life was anything but.

The time got away from them and evening had come before they realized what time it was. They were about to part ways when Ayumi wrapped a hand around her wrist and said, "Come have supper at my house, Kagome! My mom's been asking about you lately and I'm sure she'd like to see you feeling better too."

Hesitating for a moment, Kagome thought about the offer but agreed in the end. Ayumi's mother had offered her a place to stay while her own mother had been deep in mourning after her and Souta's father passed away. Ayumi was her oldest friend and their families had started looking out for one another. It pained her that she had to keep something as big as her adventures in the past from the other girl, but it was best to involve as few people as possible.

The walk back to Ayumi's house was short and filled with eager and mostly one-sided chatter. Kagome was an attentive listener to the tales of recent school scandals, asking a question here and there and laughing when she heard that one of the school's notorious playboy's had been found out by the three girls he was seeing. Upon arriving it seemed that Ayumi's mother had indeed missed her as she was greeted with an excited squeal from the older-if sometimes childlike-woman.

There were many questions asked, which she had expected, and she dutifully gave as vague of answers as she could think up. After a few minutes of interrogation Ayumi told her mother that Kagome was staying for supper which made the older woman's face light up. "I make something special then! Kagome, feel free to use the phone to call home if you haven't already."

Kagome nodded gratefully and proceeded to let her mother know her eating arrangements for the night. Once that was taken care of, Ayumi drug Kagome into the living room so that they could watch a movie until the food was ready and continue to talk. They hadn't been seated for ten minutes before there was a knock at the door and a deep, tired voice called out, "Ayumi, we got some of your mail again!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hiei tracked the little escaped demon down to the school he could feel Kagome's energy coming from. He was getting ready to take the creature out of existence when the vibrations of many bowstrings could be heard resonating through the air. His attention went back to the demon in front of him when he heard a small shriek and he only saw an arrow lodged in the ground with a faint pink glow still surrounding it. He smirked to himself as he thought, 'At least she hasn't lost her touch.'

He remained for a few more minutes to watch her. He had always liked to watch her practice in the past because of the change that took place. Where she was normally smiling and her eyes held a certain laughter to them, when she practiced a determined look of concentration took the smile's place and her eyes focused on nothing but the target in front of her. The other girls in the class were clumsy with their shots and sloppy with their stances, but Kagome stood with her muscles tensed to a practiced position when she shot. Every now and then he would see her purposefully miss her target so that she wouldn't draw attention to what could be dismissed as a 'lucky shot.'

Reluctantly, he silently moved away from the practice field and made his way back to the warehouse to make sure things hadn't gone all to hell yet. He arrived to see a larger group of demons on the other side of the portal than there had been when he left. With an internal sigh, he resigned himself to a long day and drew his sword again to make his way back into battle.

This continued for some while and by the time it was over and done with the sun was setting and everyone was a little worse for wear. Clothes had been turned into rags and ribbons and skin was covered with dirt and blood. After the portal had been closed everyone had taken to a reclined position in the warehouse, be it on an old crate, bag, or the floor, and tried to catch their breath. It wasn't that many of their opponents had been incredibly powerful, there had just been so many of them. With the eating of humans being outlawed in their world many of the demons living there had become hungry and desperate. That was never a favorable combination.

Yusuke was the first to speak. "Botan, you can tell Koenma that he can kiss my ass for a while. I don't care how much he pays, I'm not doing that all day ever again."

"I'll tell him when I get back from a well earned vacation." She panted out. At Yusuke's shocked look that she would even think about asking for a vacation, she replied, "I'm being facetious, Yusuke. You know full well that Koenma doesn't give vacations and that his employees don't ask for them as it's a waste of time."

"He can still bite me," the dark-haired young man muttered. "He ASKED if I would work for him again. I'm not in debt anymore and we're not even supposed to be doing this either. If I want a break, I'll take a damn break."

"Fine Yusuke…you tell him that next time you're in his office." And with that silence once again reigned over the group again. That is until Kuwabara remembered the events from that morning.

"Hey runt, you never did say how you know Kagome." He accused as he sat up to look at the stoic fire demon that was leaning against a nearby wall, arms crossed over his chest.

Hiei merely looked at the red head from the corner of his eye before he turned his gaze elsewhere and said, "My past and acquaintances are none of your business, fool."

Kuwabara gave him a hard look. "When a girl who's one of my friends knows someone with a reputation like yours I make it my business."

Hiei turned a chilling glare on the human and he felt his fists unconsciously tighten at the very implication that he would hurt Kagome. "Then I suggest you ask her." He said before he disappeared. In all honest he wasn't sure what to say. He needed his own answers before he could give them. He still wasn't sure how she was in this time and didn't want to say anything that could cause trouble for either of them. So for now he stood on the roof to the warehouse and waited until everyone else left and went their separate ways before he tried to track her down.

He was led to an apartment building that he knew Kuwabara to live in as well and searched for her energy before positioning himself in the tree nearest to her but still made sure she wouldn't be able to see him when she left. This wasn't her home that much he knew. If it were, he would have sensed her long before now.

Kuwabara soon arrived back at the home he shared with his sister and Hiei watched him with narrowed eyes as he unlocked his door and entered. He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the human city for a while before he heard a door open. Turning his attention back to the building Hiei saw a much cleaner Kuwabara leave his apartment in clean clothes with a towel around his neck and a handful of mail.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ayumi looked over at Kagome and smiled as she said, "You go answer it. He'll get a surprise seeing you here after so long."

Kagome left her seat on the couch to go answer the front door. When she opened the door she was met with a tall red-headed man who was probably four or five years older than she was. He was currently looking out over the railing on the opposite side of the walkway from the apartment doors and glaring at the trees. That's when Kagome felt the presence of her friend from the past. 'He can feel it too?' She thought as she turned her attention back to the human in front of her and said, "Yes?"

Kuwabara's attention immediately came to rest on the girl in front of him and a large grin instantly split across his face. "Kagome! I thought that was you I saw this morning! I haven't seen you in forever. You grew." He observed as he put a hand on top of her head in a brotherly fashion.

Kagome laughed as she pushed his large hand away and looked up to lock eyes with the taller male. "Kuwabara?? It has been a long time! I'm not the only one that grew…you're huge!" She exclaimed as she tried to stand on her tip-toes to reach the top of his head. He laughed at her when she could only put her fingertips on the top of his head since he was almost a foot and a half taller than delicate-looking girl.

Ayumi came to stand behind them as they joked with one another before interrupting, "Come in Kazuma. Kagome and I were just catching up, so you're welcome to join us. I'll take the mail."

Kuwabara handed the mail to his neighbor when she extended her hand and stepped inside before closing the door behind him. "You'd think the mailman would have learned the difference between two and three by now." He followed as Kagome tugged him into the living room to sit on the couch next to her. He may have been five years older than them, but he didn't feel odd at all spending time with the two teenage girls like most men his age would. He had spent most of his childhood with them and his sister and the three of them were the reasons he had developed the respect for women that he had.

They talked for a while before Kuwabara turned to Kagome and said, "I think you know a friend of mine."

"What's his name?" She answered.

"Hiei."

Kagome thought for a minute before frowning and saying, "I don't recognize his name…"

"Well he's short, has black hair, a bad attitude, and usually just stands around glaring at people. He doesn't talk much. He was with me this morning in the café when you stopped and looked inside."

A spark of recognition lit Kagome's eyes to a bright, electric blue as she smiled and said, "Oh yeah! I know who you're talking about now." And she finally had a name to go with the face.

"Yeah…" Kuwabara said with less enthusiasm than she was showing. "Do you mind if I ask how you know him??" He was always one to look out for his friends and family, and while he worked with Hiei and trusted him enough to not let anything attack him from behind in a fight, he also knew Hiei's history and that his reputation wasn't just a lot of talk.

'If Kuwabara knows Hiei then he probably knows about demons…but Ayumi doesn't so I still can't say anything.' She thought before answering with a smile, "I met him not too long ago actually. You could say that we just kind of found each other and things went from there. I don't know him very well, but he seems nice."

Kuwabara almost choked at hearing Hiei described as 'nice' but let it go for the moment. Kuwabara was trying to think of a way to say what he wanted to get out without alarming Ayumi when he heard Ayumi's mother calling for her help from the kitchen. Once the younger girl was out of the room, Kuwabara turned to Kagome with a serious look and said, "Look Kagome…Hiei's a handy guy to have around in a fight, but you should be careful around him. He's more dangerous than you probably think."

Kagome decided now was a good time to test the waters. "What? Is he some kind of demon??" She asked in a joking voice as she laughed. But she became silent when she saw him pale slightly. "I don't know how you know about demons Kuwabara, but you don't have to hide it from me because I know too. I'm not going to go into detail so don't ask, but I know what he is and how strong he is. You don't have to worry though because I can take care of myself." She said as she placed a reassuring hand on her friend's arm.

Kuwabara was utterly shocked however, and was dying to know how someone like Kagome had come to know of the existence of demons. But, even though he hadn't seen her in years, he was willing to bet that she hadn't changed enough that she would give out information she had decided to keep to herself. His thoughts we sidetracked when Ayumi came back into the living room.

"Mom says that supper's ready. Would you like to stay too, Kazuma?? Kagome's going to eat with us."

He shook his head as he stood up and said, "Nah, I need to get home to help Sis. She said she wants me to move some furniture for her…like I live to do manual labor for her. But I'll see you guys around, right Kagome?" He asked as he gave her a look that said much more than his spoken question did.

She smiled and gave a quick nod before saying, "Sure thing, Kuwabara. You and your friends should stop by the shrine sometime. If you give me your number I'll give you a call and let you know when a good time would be."

And so they traded contact information and an entire hidden conversation that Ayumi listened to and was none the wiser about.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hiei watched as Kagome left the apartment building a couple of hours after Kuwabara had returned to his home, and silently followed her every movement as she made her way home.

She shouldn't have been so at ease as a young, attractive woman walking down the dark streets of Tokyo alone at night…but he supposed that he was partially to blame for that. He knew that she could sense him and she probably knew that if any real danger presented itself that he would protect her from it. 'When did I become a guardian?' He asked himself. He may have protected her in the past…loved her in the past…but how much of that did she know of or remember?? Was she aware of how much her very existence was perplexing him at the moment when a few centuries ago he would have welcomed her back with no questions asked? He highly doubted it, but she always had ways of surprising him. The Kagome he had known always had a way of being blissfully ignorant and painfully aware at the same time.

He needed his answers, and at this point he was merely playing a waiting game.

When she arrived home he could hear her call out to her mother, announcing her arrival. He reached out with the jagan to track her movements through the house until she came to rest in one room. Luckily it was a room on the corner of the house and had a window. He moved to a tree where he could remain hidden and still watch her.

She was in what was obviously her bedroom. He watched as she dropped her bag beside her desk and then stretched her hands above her head before falling back onto her bed, leaving her long legs to dangle over the edge. She lay motionless for a few moments and Hiei believed that she had fallen asleep when she sat up and made her way over to the window. She slid the glass open and braced her hands against the sill until she was leaning out far enough so that the night air just barely caressed her face.

Kagome looked out into the night and searched the trees in vain, knowing that she wouldn't be able to actually see him, before saying in a sing-song voice, "I know your name now…Hiei." And with that she turned around and left her bedroom to go elsewhere in the house.

Hiei sat on his branch with a scowl on his face. 'The idiot must have actually asked her about her knowledge of me…damn him.' He waited for her to come back but knew she wouldn't return for some time when his sensitive nose picked up the sweet scent of her shampoo as it drifted into her bedroom and out her window. 'It's been so long since I last smelled this scent…' He thought as he relaxed slightly and let his mind wander to fonder times.

He had been lulled into such a state that he almost didn't hear her bedroom door shut as she returned from her bath. Ever the honorable demon, Hiei turned his gaze from her room before she could take off her towel. Looking up, he could see that the sky was now black…or it would have been if not for the soft glow this city continually emitted. Hiei ventured a glance after a few minutes and was relieved to see that she was dressed for bed.

She sat at her desk with one knee pulled up to her chest and flipped through a text book, jotting things down in a notebook here and there, before turning off the desk lamp and standing up to move to lie down in bed. Hiei waited another hour before moving to the closer position of the roof ledge above the window to listen for deep, even breaths.

Once he was sure she was asleep, he slipped down to the railing just outside of her window and positioned himself on the ledge. He was wary of getting too close and his presence waking her, so this is where he would remain while he did what he came to do. Reaching behind his bead, he untied his bandana and removed it so that his Jagan Eye could open fully. He pressed at the edges of her mind until he found an entry point and then proceeded to search through her memories as she slept.

He started with recent memories and saw her conversation with Kuwabara and her day at school. Going further back he saw her in a field with a fox child in her backpack to distract a half-demon. His brow furrowed in confusion. 'She's been with Inuyasha in that time recently??' But his question was answered when she jumped into an old well and emerged moments later from the same well in this time period. He sorted and poked through memories for hours until he found how everything started and how she was capable of being here. She was supposed to be in this era. It was the other era, the one where he'd first met her, that she didn't belong in.

He knew that the sun would rise soon, so he retied his bandana and left her window. From what he had seen she hadn't actually met him in the past yet, but it shouldn't be very long until then. But now he was faced with a terrible problem…

She was here within his reach, but he needed to avoid contact with her so as not to change the past. And that was another thing that was causing his chest to tighten. He had the opportunity to change the past. She didn't have to die, but what would happen if she didn't?

Hiei knew that he had time to think about his choice…but he also knew what his choice would ultimately have to be in the end.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning Kagome woke up with a slight headache and feeling a little dizzy. Putting a hand to her head, she sat up and waited for the lightheaded feeling to pass before putting her feet on the floor and making her way downstairs. She found her mother in the kitchen and smiled when the older woman turned to her and asked what she would like to eat.

"I'm not very hungry right now, Mama. Would you help me do something though?? I want to make a picnic for the gang and there's some things that you just make better than I do."

"Of course, Kagome. With all the traveling you and your friend's do you need to make sure that everyone is getting enough to eat, plus it's nice to have a nice relaxing lunch every now and then. What were you planning on making dear?"

Kagome told her mother everything she wanted to make and went upstairs to get dressed as her mother prepared the ingredients for the lunches. The two women talked and caught up on each other's lives as they made their respective dishes and packed everything away in the proper containers. It was late in the morning when they finished everything and Kagome said that she would be back in a few minutes as she slipped on her shoes and made her way to the streets of her neighborhood.

She walked at a comfortable pace to a local ramen shop and placed an order that she thought Inuyasha would like. As she waited she went to look at the different shops down the street. Kagome saw a woman walk out of a flower shop with a few other grocery bags and noticed that the woman had unknowingly dropped her credit card. She hurried to pick it up before anyone else could make off with it and ran to catch up with the woman.

When Kagome caught up, the woman was getting help from a young man, probably a few years older than herself, with putting her groceries in a car. "Excuse me," she said to get their attention. "I think you dropped this outside the flower shop back there." She extended the card for the woman to take and smiled at the embarrassed 'thank you' she received.

"I can be so clumsy sometimes." The woman said as she extended one hand to take the card and the other in greeting. "I'm Shiori by the way, Shiori Minamino. And this is my son, Shuichi."

Kagome smiled and bowed in greeting to her son and he politely returned the gesture. "My name is Kagome Higurashi. I live at the shrine up the street."

Kurama looked down at the dark-haired girl and said, "Miss Higurashi, I believe you know a friend of mine. His name is Kazuma Kuwabara."

Kagome looked into calm, green eyes and felt that familiar tingle at the edge of her senses. This man was human but not completely. "Yes, I've known him since we were little. I've been meeting a lot of Kuwabara's friends lately it seems."

"Well Kagome, I hate to cut this short, but Shuichi has agreed to take me to my doctor's appointment and we'll be late if we don't leave soon. If you two become friends maybe I'll see more of you in the future." Shiori said with a motherly smile.

Kagome nodded her head and watched her get in the passenger seat of the car. Shuichi remained for a moment before reaching into the bag from the flower shop to pull out a still partially closed rose. She watched as he concentrated on it and willed it to slowly open its bright red petals that matched his hair perfectly. He extended the flower to her, which she took, and said, "Mother calls me Shuichi but you may call me Kurama, Miss Higurashi."

"Kagome." She said softly as he gave her a warm smile and turned to get into his car and leave. She shook herself from her stupor when the car pulled away and ran back to the ramen shop to pick up her order and return to the house.

Her mother helped her pack everything in a large picnic basket along with a large blanket for everyone to sit on, then Kagome proceeded to go upstairs and pack her backpack again with supplies she would need in the past. Soon she had everything she could think of and her mother accompanied her to the well-house to see her off. After a few hugs, goodbyes, and a be careful or two, Kagome made her way to a Japan 500 years in the past.

When she arrived she was surprised to see Inuyasha sitting at the top of the well waiting on her. "Inuyasha?? Did you come to help me carry my stuff?"

"Feh," he answered as he turned around to look down at her. He held out his hand and pulled her and her things out of the well as he said, "Not quite. I came to protect you."

"From what? I've protected myself before and it's not exactly a long walk back to the village."

"Yeah, well you didn't have a fast little bastard that's good with a sword following you before either. Why'd you bring all this junk anyway?"

'Shippo…'she thought with an internal sigh. She had hoped that he wouldn't say anything to the others but hadn't exactly told him not to so it was really her own fault. "I brought all this 'junk' Inuyasha, because there are times that we need it after our battles. You may not need it, but some of us are human. And the rest is food. It's a picnic! I thought it would be nice to relax and have a nice lunch before we started out again."

"What?! We don't have time for-"

"I brought ramen from that shop down the street you like." She interrupted as she nudged his side with her elbow.

She saw his eyes get a little wider just before he pretended to pout and said, "Fine. I guess we can eat first. Just this once though! We can't do this all the time."

"Alright, alright, let's just enjoy it for today then." She agreed as they came to the village.

Everyone greeted her eagerly and helped her get her things into the hut before she rounded up her friends and brought them to a grassy hill outside the village. Sango helped her unpack the basket while the boys unfolded the blanket and smoothed it out. Soon all the food was spread out, Inuyasha had his ramen, and everything was right with the world for the time being.

Part way through their meal, Kagome felt Hiei's energy approach and stop in a tree a few feet away from them. She quickly put he own food down before reaching into the basket to pull out one last container and a pair of chopsticks. Waving off Inuyasha's protests, she made her way over to the base of the tree and placed the container and utensils on a small handkerchief on the ground. "I didn't want you to feel left out. I hope you like it." And with that she turned around and went back to finish her meal with her friends before they packed up and headed out on their next adventure.

Kagome never noticed that the lunch was missing from the base of the tree when they left, but she would awake the next morning to find an empty container by the dying fire pit in their camp.

~*~*~*~*~*~

AN:  
so what did you think? These chapters are longer than most of my other stories so I think most people will be happy about that at the very least! Sorry if my updates get spaced a little further than any of us would like. I'm still the sick kid I've always been and this month it appears to be a stomach infection and ulcers…my doctor hates me lol anyway, let me know what you thought. I hope I didn't disappoint! btw, this chapter would have been up...sunday I think, but the site was being retarded for anyone who didn't try to log in...or was it just me?? anyways, I'll see you guys next chapter!!


	3. AN

I guess this would be an author's note except that I'm not your regular author. I'm Jess, CI's younger brother. I just came from seeing my sister in the hospital. Some of you may know (if you read her notes at the beginning and endings of her chapters) that Sis isn't the healthiest person in the world. She's always so stressed out that her immune system barely works. Right now there's something wrong with her and the doctors don't know what it is yet. She collapsed at work a few days ago and had to be taken to the hospital. We knew that she was sick and had been going to the doctor a few times over the past month, but Sis has always been the type to keep most of her pain to herself so things were worse than we thought. Going by her doctor's records, she's lost 20 pounds in the last 2 weeks from not eating as much as she should.

She talks about her stories and the people who read and review them all the time. She really loves you guys and you have no idea how happy you make her. She'll probably replace this and yell at me when she gets better, but I wanted you to know more about the person who writes these stories.

Sis is actually my half-sister. My parents have always fought a lot, but Sis knew that it bothered me so she would always come get me and take me out to a movie or supper or something else to take my mind off of it. When I was little I had night terrors and when I would wake up screaming Sis was the one who would get out of bed to come sit with me and let me know that I was safe. And even though she usually had to go to school or work the next day she would stay with me until I calmed down and went back to sleep.

Sis is the kind of person who gives until she doesn't have anything left. I've been with her when she got to-go plates from restaurants and gave them to the homeless along with fleece blankets that she makes. She volunteers her fridays (even when she was sick and in pain) with a program that encourages middle schoolers to continue on to college after high school. She also does volunteer work at nursing homes and even volunteered at a local animal shelter until the cleaning products made her too sick to work.

With her friends, she's always the one with the ear to listen to problems, the shoulder to cry on, or the shovel to bury the jerk who hurt her friend. She's always had the personal policy that whenever she meets someone she'll be their friend until they give her a firm reason not to be.

She always puts on a smile so that people don't know that anything is wrong. She tries to be everyone's rock and encouragement. But there's a darker side that not many people know about. She had a hard childhood. She was always moving around with her mom and when they finally settled in one place it was with an alcoholic step-father. Luckily he never hit her, but there were the nights where she had to sleep with her door locked. Then her step-mother (my mom) constantly made fun of her for anything she could find: the way she talked, walked, dressed, hobbies, everything. She eventually became depressed and even suicidal at one point. She had a couple of close friends that were able to help her and she eventually got to the point of being able to deal with everything.

My sister is the strongest, smartest, funniest, nicest, most incredible person I've ever met. She's my tutor, my music teacher, my friend, and my hero. It's hard to see her weak and pale in some hospital bed. Now that you know more about the amazing person who writes your stories, even though Sis isn't particularly religious, I believe in God and I hope that those of you who pray (no matter who you pray to) will keep my sister in your thoughts for a quick recovery.

I'm posting this on the stories she's been working on lately. I'm really sorry if some of you got your hopes up for a new chapter. Hopefully Sis will get better soon and be able to finish the chapters that I know she's been working on.

Thanks for reading,  
Jess


	4. The Storm

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything but an idea and a laptop…and a massive collection of medications

Chapter 3: The Storm

The days passed slowly after Hiei had looked into Kagome's memories. He'd been trying to think of ways around the inevitable but nothing possible had presented itself. She'd been taken from all of them in the past and now that Fate had brought her to him half of a millennium later he was in a position that he couldn't go to her. While it was physically possible for him to go to her, he knew that it would only complicate the future…for more reasons than one.

It was true that if he intervened it would most likely change the present, but there were other things to consider. He had no idea what his contact with her now would do to him in the past. She might change something significant to how he was now. But maybe she was supposed to change something. What if she'd already had contact with him here and she said something or did something in the past that had been what pushed him to be as he was now? Or was who he had become based completely on himself and his own personal will? Had anyone really shaped him or was he destined to be this way from birth?? 'This is why time travel shouldn't be possible,' he growled in his head. There were just too many variables.

But there was still one other thing. He knew that, unless he was willing to change the past and present, she would eventually vanish from this time. She would leave one day and never return. He remembered what it had felt like when she'd been taken the first time; that emotion would be forever pressed into his isolated heart. Knowing that she would disappear, would he venture being in her presence again only to find her gone one day or would he keep to himself to selfishly protect his scarred heart?

He found himself unable to answer that particular question at the moment. If it wouldn't have revealed a side of himself that he didn't wish for any to know about, he would have asked Kurama his opinion on the matter. The fox may be nosy and mischievous at times, but he had a gift for problem solving and forethought that he'd never known anyone else to possess. He knew Kurama had a knack for strategic planning, but Hiei could still feel his eyes narrow when he thought of the red-head.

He'd seen Kurama a few days prior and had nearly allowed a growl to escape him. It was faint, almost enough to make him think he'd imagined it, but her scent was on his person. It had taken a moment to find the source, but he finally determined that it was coming from his hand. "Making new friends, fox?" He'd asked.

Kurama had been genuinely confused for a moment before realizing what his friend had meant. Kagome's scent was still lingering from where they had brushed hands in exchange of the rose earlier that day. "Perhaps," he responded with a sly grin. This could be a golden opportunity to discover more about how Hiei knew the interesting girl. "One is apt to make new friends when one does not constantly wear a scowl in public."

Hiei hadn't missed the small jab sent his way. Deciding to forgo being subtle, he took a more direct approach with the handsome avatar. "You will stay away from the girl if you wish to keep those pretty features other females seem so fond of. She will not fall for your charms so don't waste your time or hers."

A delicate brow rose in challenge. While he tried not to pay attention to the fans he'd managed to unwittingly attract, he wasn't going to stand by as his abilities of seduction were insulted. "Is that so? And how would you know, Hiei? I seem to remember a very pretty blush on her cheeks as she accepted my rose…if I'm not mistaken I also detected her breath quickening slightly and her eyes dilating." He threw in just to make the hybrid a little angrier. After all, many mistakes can be made while angry.

Hiei knew what Kurama was doing, but damn him if it wasn't working. He could feel the element that ran the strongest through his veins wanting to lash out at his friend. He may trust Kurama on missions and for advice, but the cunning red-head wasn't above receiving his wrath. "If you speak of her that way again I will cut out your tongue."

"And who is she to you that it would matter, Hiei?? You're quite possibly the biggest misanthrope I know, but you seem uncharacteristically protective of this one human girl."

Crimson eyes narrowed and Hiei's voice came out in a dangerous tone as he responded, "I'll only warn you this one time, Kurama. You will keep your distance." And after that had been said, he'd left in an instant and kept to himself for the following days.

For the first time in a very long time, Hiei was truly angry with Kurama. He couldn't remember being this angry with his partner since the fox had interfered with his first fight with Yusuke. But he couldn't deny that Kurama was right. When Kagome was involved everything changed. A protectiveness usually reserved only for Yukina surged forth and jealousy clouded his mind.

It was odd for him to have these feelings again after a few hundred years, but when Kagome came back into his life so did all the emotions he thought he'd suppressed. With that one smile she'd sent his way that morning at the café she'd instantly wrapped the string connected to his heart around her little finger once more. As much as he wanted to stay away from her he knew that if he sensed danger near he'd go to her aid.

He let the back of his head rest against the rough bark of the tree he rested in and felt his eyes close as his thoughts rambled on. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She'd died five centuries ago and, while it had been a hard process, he'd mourned her and tried to move on with his life. Loved ones weren't supposed to come from the grave.

With a bitter smirk he had the passing thought that Keiko was probably happier about Yusuke's return than he was about Kagome's.

The smirk vanished and his eyes opened instantly. 'I'm not happy about her return?' He thought. He knew it wasn't true. When he'd first laid eyes on her in this time it was undeniable that happiness had welled inside his chest along with hope. Yet here he was trying to tell himself that he wished it had never happened. Why?

Of course her presence in his life again would cause complications, but when she'd passed he'd begged the gods for more time with her. He'd apparently gone on a waiting list as it had taken them 500 years to get around to it but here was his chance. With a new outlook on the situation Hiei sat up and was about to go see if she'd returned home yet when a realization hit him that made his back tense completely.

He still couldn't be with her in the way he wanted because she was still at a point in her life where she loved Inuyasha. She hadn't even really met him yet. Even when she came back to her own time he couldn't be with her because she had yet to make most of the memories that he shared with her.

This was entirely too frustrating. So, after removing his claws from the limb of the tree he was in, Hiei went in search of Yusuke so that he could drag the man to Genkai's for a "friendly spar."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Completely oblivious to the internal conflict she was causing back in her time, Kagome was dealing with a problem of her own in the time of battles, samurai, and irritable half-demons.

"Inuyasha!" She shouted finally giving into the frustrations that had been mounting for the past few days. Kagome was standing underneath the branches of the tree that the dog-eared boy occupied. She'd waited long enough for him to stop acting so paranoid, and now she stood reprimanding him and hearing the occasional giggle come from one of their traveling companions as they ate their supper.

"Inuyasha, come down here and eat with the rest of us! I know you haven't eaten or slept in days and you're going to get sick. Now stop acting like an idiot and get out of that tree!"

"Hell no!" A raspy voice called back. He knew that she was right. He was extremely hungry and was sorely in need of sleep, but ever since the night that their stalker had snuck into camp to return the empty bento Inuyasha had refused to let his guard down. "There's a demon following us who can walk right into the middle of our camp without anyone noticing. I'm not gonna get my throat slit because you want me to take a nap! Someone has to watch for the little bastard."

Kagome huffed as she threw her hands in the air. "Fine," she mumbled. "But you're eating one way or another…" And with that she walked over to the fire and proceeded to dip out some of the stew they'd made for supper and walk back over to the tree. "At least take this and eat something. You looked terrible today and maybe eating something will help a little."

"No!" Was the stubborn reply she received.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Kagome tried again. "Inuyasha, please-"

"I said 'no' woman! I'm not putting down my sword and I'm not eating that damn stew!"

Kagome glared at the leafy canopy as her voice took on a darker tone and she flatly said, "Sit." The spoon in the bowl shifted some with the vibrations caused by Inuyasha's abrupt descent. "Now," she began in a calm voice, "will you please eat something and get some rest? I didn't want to do that Inuyasha, but you didn't leave me much choice. If you're tired and hungry you wouldn't be able to fight well anyway. Besides I'm sure if he wanted to kill us he would have had lots of chances by now. Stop worrying. I don't think he's that bad."

Inuyasha glared up at the woman talking to him and was about to give her a piece of his mind when he caught the look in her eyes. It was a look of complete and sincere concern. He could clearly see it not only swirling in her deep blue eyes but etching along each of her facial features. So for once he decided to bite his tongue and swallow his pride to help the light return to her eyes a little faster.

Without a word Inuyasha rose from his place on the ground and grudgingly took the bowl before marching over to the fire, sitting down roughly, and looking towards her again. "Fine, but when he kills you in your sleep don't come crying to me!"

Kagome tried to hide a giggle behind her hand. "I doubt that would happen Inuyasha, but thanks for the concern." Now it was just a matter of getting him to go to sleep later. But she decided long ago that problems with Inuyasha were best tackled as they presented themselves.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hiei had thoroughly enjoyed the show that Kagome and Inuyasha had put on the night before. He would never admit it, but it always amused him at how stubborn the half-demon could be despite her clear warnings.

But now he stood at the edge of a large forest. The odd group had left the previous forest that morning, crossed a large field that afternoon, and now that the sun was starting to set in early evening they had entered another forest. But there was something wrong with this place. He couldn't hear birds or the normal rustling of small animals because they knew to stay away from this place.

The trees were tall with thick trunks that had many vines and species of ivy covering them all the way to their top branches. There was a storm approaching and Hiei could hear the forest creak and pop as the strong wind caused the trees to sway slightly.

Walking over to one tree, Hiei tore some of the vines away, ripped away the scarred bark, and dragged his claws down the exposed wood. It was a pale, dry, and lifeless brown all the way through. "Hn…this forest is dead. The only life here is these parasitic vines." He said to himself. He couldn't believe that at least one out of the group hadn't noticed. Yet maybe they had and had entered anyway in search of shelter from the coming storm?

Stepping back to look at the forest once more, Hiei looked at the green forest ahead of him and entered against his better judgment. He wasn't sure why but he knew that he didn't want harm to come to the priestess that had captured his attention.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome looked skyward to see the green and orange light filtering through the thick, leafy vines that wove together the canopy of the forest. "It's so pretty…" she whispered to no one in particular. For some reason she felt the need to be quiet in this place as though a loud or sudden noise would shatter the forest like a rock against glass.

None of her companions were speaking and the only sound coming from any of them, even the normally hyper Shippo, was the light crunching of their footsteps. Everyone seemed uneasy in this place. Inuyasha and Sango had voiced their protests to entering the eerily quiet yet enchantingly beautiful forest saying that it wasn't safe and gave them a bad feeling.

But the downfall was that it seemed that this forest of vines formed a wall against the edge of the field they had been in. In the end they had determined that it would be much faster to travel through the forest than to try to find a way around.

She knew that something felt…off, but couldn't pinpoint what the problem with this place was. It was quiet and beautiful and peaceful almost like holy ground. But at the same time it was unsettling and suffocating making the hair of any who entered stand on end.

In the middle of her musings a strong wind forced its way between the trees which made them moan in protest. Kagome let out a small squeak and cradled Shippo close to her chest as the cold wind hit her back and caused her hair to whip around her face and body.

Once it died down to a chilling breeze everyone looked up to notice the absence of the filtered twilight and could see small patches of dark, heavy clouds rolling across the sky. The air shifted with the clouds and wind. It was thick and had an almost electrical charge to it. "Inuyasha…" Kagome mumbled as she backed closer to the silver haired teen.

Miroku made eye contact with Inuyasha and gave a sharp nod. "We need to keep moving," Miroku said. "Maybe we can find shelter farther into the forest or at least make it to the other side before the storm hits. I don't think it would be wise to be here if things turn for the worse."

The rest of the group agreed and they began their pace again. Gradually the wind began to pick back up from its nearly unnoticeable breeze to a cutting gale. But the groups pace picked up as well. Where they had started at a walk, that had increased to a jog, and now they were sprinting between the trees. Inuyasha had taken Kagome's bag from her so that she could move faster and Shippo was clinging to Kirara's back. They would have taken to the skies on Kirara with Kagome on Inuyasha's back as usual if it wasn't for the storm threatening to unleash itself at any moment.

The continued to run as the wind increased. The trees were groaning their protest and the many leaves lining the trees were rustling at an almost deafening level. Only Inuyasha was able to hear the wind-muffled scream of Kagome as she rounded a tree only to be caught by a powerful gust of wind and knocked to the ground. But everyone heard the following sound.

A loud cracking sound seemed to echo above everything else but it was impossible to tell where it came from for a moment. Kagome could feel her heart racing not only from running but from the apprehension that had saturated the air around them. She finally began to move to stand when the creaking of the trees suddenly grew much louder.

Kagome looked up to see one of the trees near her start to lean far to one side as more cracking sounds were heard. The tree was definitely falling and it looked to be heading for the girl still on the ground. "Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted over the storm as the first rain drops began to fall.

He rushed forward intent on grabbing her and carrying her to safety until he hear more cracks and groans coming from all around him.

Sango realized what was going on first and shouted to her friends, "The vines killed the trees and are still connecting them at their tops! One tree is falling and the rest are going with it! Move!!" And with that Kagome finally found her feet and everyone began running while trying to look around them and avoid the trees before they picked up enough force and weight to fall completely.

But sooner than any would have liked, the first crash was heard from the area they had just left. Many began to follow and Kagome could see her friends trying to yell something to her but she couldn't hear them over everything that was going on. The rain was coming down hard now and the winds made it sting against the exposed skin of her legs and face. Suddenly a loud crack was heard from beside her and Kagome looked up to see a massive tree coming down on top of her.

She immediately looked at Inuyasha, her savior in her times of need, to see that he was too far away to make it. His eyes were wide and he was running toward her in vain, desperate to reach her in time. Above all the noise, Kagome heard him scream her name even though it sounded like little more than a whisper by the time it reached her ears.

Inuyasha watched as the dead forest was about to crush one of his few friends. He knew he couldn't make it in time and he screamed her name as he tried to reach out for her. But as soon as the sound had exited his throat, Kagome vanished.

~*~*~*~*~*~

AN: I'm not dead! Yay!! I want to thank everyone who sent well-wishes! You guys really do mean a lot to me. I responded to everyone's comment on my profile so if you said something in response to Jesse's AN go check it out if you haven't! Also, if you wanna just check in on day-to-day crap and hear me ramble (and maybe see where I am on updates) check out my LJ that a friend got me to create. The link is the homepage button on my profile. I think I explained what kept me so long if anyone is curious (one of the first few posts). Feel free to friend me if you want. I like friends!

This chapter actually got cut pretty short…sorry about that! But with as long as I've been gone I really wanted to get something out there to renew your faith in me. Also, even though I just too my last final for the spring semester today, I'm starting my May-mester class tomorrow. That's going to be a full semester's worth of info crammed into about 4 weeks. I'm doing another class like that in June so my time is going to pretty much be demolished by that. I may get another chapter or two out during that time (or I may churn out nine, you never can tell!) but either way things are going to be crazy. But I'm off in July so hopefully that's when I'll get a lot of writing done.

Okay, I think that's everything for right now. I hope everyone enjoyed, sorry I cut it a little short, and sorry for the long wait!! I'll try to update soon but I need sleep for now. So good night everybody!


	5. Proposition

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything but an idea and a laptop…and a massive collection of medications

Chapter 4: Proposition

Kagome could see the tree above her and quickly shut her eyes tight with a few tears escaping at the fear of her imminent death. Something suddenly slammed against her with such force that she actually believed that the tree had hit her for a moment. But then she felt the wind and rain again along with a strong arm wrapped around her stomach. She turned wide eyes upward in time catch a glimpse of crimson eyes before her heart rate picked up once again.

The speed at which they were moving coupled with the strong winds around them nearly took Kagome's breath away. She could hear the trees crashing around them and closed her eyes so that the rain hitting her face wouldn't sting them. Other than the rain, she would feel leaves brush against her legs from time to time as the demon that held her continued to run.

Soon they came to an abrupt stop and Kagome noticed that the rain had stopped hitting her skin though she could still hear the thousands of tiny droplets falling. She opened her eyes and saw that she was now in what appeared to be a small cave. And she wasn't alone.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hiei had forgone taking to the trees as he usually would have as he didn't trust the strength of the branches anymore. He was running quickly to find out what was happening at the center of the noises he'd heard moments before. The normal groaning and popping of the dead wood around him was replaced with loud, echoing cracks and he growled in irritation when the rain finally started to fall.

He briefly wondered why he continued to follow a group that seemed to attract nothing but trouble and misfortune. He knew he was getting closer but grew alarmed when he started coming across fallen trees and their splintered and jagged stumps. He looked up to see the thick, tightly woven vines connecting the trees straining with the weight of the fallen and slowly bringing down surrounding trees that still stood. Picking up his pace, Hiei moved toward the muffled voices that he could now hear even as rain continued to pelt him.

He came across a scene that made his feet move even faster. The fiery priestess was about to be extinguished in her prime by one of the falling trees.

Inuyasha wasn't going to be able to make it to her in time—that much he knew for certain—and with her human reactions her body had probably become all but unresponsive to the need to move due to her fear. So without slowing his pace, Hiei put out his arm, wrapped it around her mid-section, and lifted her out of harm's way without missing a step.

He continued to move at a breakneck pace with more and more trees starting to topple in a deafening display all around them. This domino effect seemed to be coming to a head and soon it would be very dangerous to be out in the open. Hiei needed to find something, anything at all, that could offer a solid shelter. Soon he saw a small outcropping of rocks that formed a cave-like structure.

It would have to do until this passed.

Putting down the woman that he still held, Hiei walked to the entrance of their shelter and watched for anything that could pose an immediate danger such as trees that could trap them within. When he was satisfied with his inspection he turned around and was slightly taken back by what he saw.

He had spent so much time following this group around and seeing the woman who appeared to be everyone's strength, the woman who fought against man-eating demons alongside her friends, the woman who cared for all despite their lineage…that he had forgotten what she really was. And he was reminded of this for the very first time since he had dismissed her on a battlefield all those months ago.

She was a human girl, probably no older than sixteen or seventeen, who had almost just been killed and was now alone in a small enclosure with a demon she didn't know. Her eyes were wide and held a look of fear and shock. Her small frame was trembling as she sat on the ground, and whether it was from fear or the cold rain that had soaked her clothes he wasn't completely sure.

This girl named Kagome wasn't a warrior priestess out of some children's bedtime story…she was just a girl of unknown origins.

He berated himself internally for building this human girl up as something she couldn't be. Right now she looked like a scared child who had just lost their parents as she continued to stare at him with eyes that matched the storm outside in their grey-blue color. When Hiei decided that she was indeed shaking from the cold dampness of her clothes he scoffed and removed his cloak. The thick material didn't absorb water well and was probably much warmer given his abnormally high internal temperature.

He walked closer to her and held it out wordlessly for her to take.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome sat on the dirt ground, water dripping from her soaked hair and clothes, and watched this demon who had kept himself hidden all this time as he looked outside of the cave. He had saved her after she had pretty much resigned herself to her fate, when it seemed as though there was no escape, when Inuyasha hadn't been able to…

She remembered that this wasn't the first time that he had saved her. Sometimes she felt as though he was watching over her silently. A quiet guardian who was neither seen nor heard but was always felt. She couldn't imagine why Kuwabara would have tried to warn her against him when he only seemed to be a good presence in her life. He had never done anything to hurt her in these months, which was more than she could say for most people even if she never held it against them.

He turned back to face her and seemed to freeze on the spot. She could see the thoughts swirling in the deep red coloring of his eyes even though she hadn't the faintest clue as to what he would be thinking about. During this time she noticed just how…compact he was.

He looked like he was about her height (minus the hair of course), maybe an inch or so taller than she was. But when he took off his cloak and extended it to her she clearly saw that he wasn't thin or lanky, but very lean and muscular. His eyes were a crimson color but didn't give her the same malicious chill that Naraku's did. Instead, his eyes spoke of a hard life and wariness, of fiery passion and chilling caution.

When she realized that she was staring at him like an idiot, Kagome reached out a trembling hand to take his offering. She almost dropped the heavy fabric when she felt just how warm it was. It wasn't hot enough to burn her, but it felt as though it had been hung near a furnace for extra warmth before use. She quickly wrapped it around herself and allowed the heat to penetrate her clothes and take the chill from her skin.

Standing up slowly, Kagome looked at Hiei still a little unsure of what to say or do. So she started with the most obvious thing she could think of. "Thank you." Her statement was simple and softly spoken coming from a throat that was tight from nervousness. She waited for his reply, not realizing that she was holding her breath.

~*~*~*~*~*~

They both stood in silence for a moment just looking at each other. Hiei had never really been thanked for anything before, at least not in person, and was unsure of how to respond. Kagome was just hoping for a reply of some sort instead of him running from the cave which was still a very real possibility.

Her reply came in the form of a sharp nod and him turning his back to her to walk to the edge of the small cave once again. Everything in Hiei's body was telling him to run and get away from this person who made him second guess his own thoughts and actions. He didn't look at her as she came to stand a few feet to his left and look out into the raging storm as well. Her face was drawn up in concentration, he noticed.

Kagome was very worried for her friends. She may have been provided with shelter but they were still out there and she had no idea where they were, how far away from them she was, or how they were fairing with the collapsing forest. Taking a deep breath, she removed the warm cloak from her shoulders and extended it back to its owner. "I mean it, thank you, but I have to go. My friends are still out there and might need help."

Hiei was a little surprised at her sudden decision. He thought she was scared, not worried.

"I'm sure that you already know my name with as long as you've been following us, but I'm Kagome. I thought it was only right that we introduce ourselves since we're actually meeting for the first time." She said with a small smile on her face.

Hiei took in her appearance for a moment as he thought about what she said. Her dark hair was hanging straight from the weight of the water and was clinging to her face and shoulders. Her clothes were clinging to her body and he could now see the shirt with thin shoulder straps that she wore underneath her normal shirt. Her skin was paler than normal from the rain and cold which only made her small blush stand out even more. She had introduced herself like she would to anyone else and even smiled at him. Had anyone ever smiled at him without a killing intent before??

He hesitated for a moment, but when he saw her awaiting his reply with slightly hopeful eyes something inside him couldn't bring himself to ignore her or brush her off like he would do to anyone else. "Hiei," was all he said in response as he turned back to look at the storm, leaving her there to look at him and waiting for him to take his cloak back.

When Kagome realized that he probably wouldn't take the cloak back she sighed and folded it as best she could before laying on a nearby rock. She went back to stand beside Hiei before taking a deep breath and making to take her first step out into the storm. At least that was the plan until she felt a strong grip on her arm.

Kagome looked to Hiei and saw him shake his head. "But my friends—" she tried to protest.

"I don't know where they are, but they are fine. Their blood is not on the air so they are most likely safe." He tried to explain. Hiei wasn't particularly fond of talking, especially to humans, but after he took the time and trouble to make sure she hadn't died he wasn't about to let her walk out into almost certain doom. "It would be wisest to wait out the storm and destruction here."

Then he let go of her arm and turned to pick up his cloak once more, leaving Kagome to watch his movements.

She saw as he unfolded the fabric and wrapped it around his bare arm several times. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a few moments of nothing happening she noticed that his brow began to knit together in frustration. But then she suddenly felt a large amount of power fill the cave in a quick burst only to disappear just as quickly. When it was gone she noticed that a thin, wispy vapor was rising from Hiei's body.

Kagome walked closer to make sure that everything was okay but stopped when she noticed that he was completely dry. His face slowly relaxed again and he unwrapped the heavy material from his arm to hand her the cloak that was just as warm as when he had handed it to her the first time. "Sleep," was all he said before going to sit against the entrance to the cave once again. She gave a small huff before lying down near the back of their shelter, unsure if what he said had been a suggestion or a command.

As Hiei sat and watched the rain fall and more trees pile on top of one another, he became very annoyed at his Jagan Eye. It had weakened him considerably and he had yet to gain the control over it that he desperately needed. Over the months he had found himself either struggling to come up with the amount of energy needed to control some of the more basic fundamentals of his father's element or he would suddenly find himself with bursts of excess power that he had to figure out how to either absorb or redirect.

He had been trying to raise the temperature around his arm to warm the cloak so that the girl wouldn't freeze herself during the night, but had been incredibly annoyed when he found that the energy wouldn't come to him. So he had pushed harder, trying to find some reserve somewhere, when suddenly the Jagan flared to life and his entire body heated to the point of burning anything he touched. The air around him had sucked all the moisture from his clothes and hair and steam could be seen rising from his body.

The cloak was warm again, but the power had disappeared in the blink of an eye. Now as Hiei sat watching the wind and rain, he vowed that one day he would control the almost sentient life form on his forehead and become even more powerful than he had been before.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kagome awoke the next morning still wrapped in the warmth that Hiei's cloak had provided. She stretched lazily as she did every morning before sitting up and looking at her surroundings. She noticed that sunlight was streaming in through the entrance to the small cave. Getting up and moving towards the opening she stepped out to see a decimated forest.

The trees were blanketing the forest floor and some were lying across one another creating small mountains of leafy lumber. Some of the stumps were still standing at various heights while some trees had been so weakened that their entire root systems had been pulled from the ground. Kagome looked around for a moment before climbing to the top of one of the piles of logs and scouting the area for her unlikely rescuer.

She jumped and nearly fell when she heard a voice from behind her say, "I found your companions."

Kagome turned around to see Hiei, who had apparently already gotten his cloak from the cave, and he was looking at her as if waiting for her to immediately run off to find her friends. But instead she asked, "Are they okay?? Where are they?"

Hiei had expected her to turn tail and leave as everyone else had done in his life once he'd outlived his usefulness to them. So now he had to work on developing a new set of skills that he'd never had the need for until now: Communication and Conversation Skills.

"They are west of here. They are unharmed and appear to be searching for you."

Kagome released a relieved breath. "Thank you very much, Hiei." She said as she gave him a polite bow. Straightening up, she gave him a bright smile and turned around to climb down from the fallen trees.

Hiei watched as she carefully touched the solid ground once more and began walking westward, climbing over fallen trees along the way. He was about to go off on his own again when she suddenly turned around to face him after walking about twenty feet away. "Come on, Hiei! Let's go!" She called back to him with a smile and a wave.

To say that he was shocked, even if he didn't outwardly show it, would have been an understatement. Hiei watched her with wary eyes for a moment before quickly catching up with her and walking a few feet to her left. They continued to travel in silence for a while as he thought about what was going on. She wanted him to travel with her? Why?? What could she gain by being associated with him? Did she think that he would protect her from every little danger now? He scoffed at the question. If that was the case then she would quickly realize her mistake should they be attacked. But as much as he told himself that he wouldn't, Hiei knew that he would protect the blue eyed female that practically screamed "Damsel in Distress."

"So Hiei," she started bring him out of his musings. "Why have you been following us all this time?"

"Why?" He couldn't help his suspicious nature as he began thinking of where this question could be going.

She merely shrugged her shoulders as she stood on top of another fallen tree to look around for any glimpse of red. "Just curious I guess." She answered with a smile as she jumped back down to the muddy forest floor.

_'What is that silly saying that humans have?'_ Hiei wondered for a moment before responding, "Curiosity killed the cat." And that was exactly what she reminded him of with her coy yet daring nature. When she was agitated she wouldn't hesitate to show her claws but the rest of the time she was openly affectionate with those around her.

"And satisfaction brought it back again," she countered. Kagome had a feeling that getting Hiei to open up was going to be similar to what she went through with Inuyasha…only with any luck there would be much less yelling and cursing. "So," she tried again, "why would you want to follow around some humans, a half-demon, and two full-demons? Most people we come across are either scared or try to kill one, several, or all of us."

Hiei could understand that. They were different. Their very natures contradicted them being in the same area without killing each other, much less traveling together as friends without violent outbursts towards each other—Inuyasha excluded of course. And on that thought, Hiei had his answer. "That's why. By all rights you should all hate each other, yet you work together and behave as friends and comrades would. You are all very different from each other and everyone fears or hates that which is different. Your group doesn't make sense."

Kagome couldn't help but laugh a little at his answer. It was true that in this day and age they should all probably hate each other, but when they all found that one common enemy…everything else seemed so trivial. "Well I guess you're right in a way," she began to explain. "You see, when we all met each other none of us really liked each other. Inuyasha and I couldn't stand to be around each other. Inuyasha thought Shippo was a brat and Shippo only saw Inuyasha as a weak half-demon. Inuyasha hated Miroku when they first met and Miroku only saw Inuyasha and Shippo as demons. Sango tried to attack us for several reasons and things were very tense when she first started traveling with us."

Hiei could only wonder how they had managed to form an alliance with one another after such rocky starts. If he was in any of the listed situations he would have killed his opponent and cut his losses. Why try and form a group with people that you despise?

"But there was something stronger than the dislike for each other that everyone had," she continued to explain to the dark demon who still traveled beside her. "Everyone had been wronged by Naraku in some way or another. Naraku is like a plague. He's spreading and causing sorrow and death wherever he touches. Someone has to cure the world of him before he destroys everything. And that's what we're trying to do. We've been able to look beyond our differences and see each other as people so that we can work together towards a goal that's bigger than any of us. We can't do it alone, so we gather allies where we can who are also willing to put away petty arguments for the greater good. Does that make any sense?"

Hiei only nodded once as he thought about it. What was his greater good? He was trying to become stronger and find his sister. To him, his own world was all that mattered. That's the way that it had always been. But what if this Naraku was a threat to the larger world that his world resided in? Would he be able to work with those that he hates and, the more likely problem, those who hate him?

"So," he heard Kagome continue, "I'm sure there's something in this world that you care about. It doesn't matter if it's one or many people, power, money, or even just yourself. Everyone has something that they want to preserve." Here she paused and stood on the tree she'd been climbing over to look him directly in the eyes. Those blue orbs seemed so sincere and trusting as she spoke her next words. "I don't know you very well yet Hiei, but I know that you're fast and very skilled with your sword. And I can feel that there's something more to you even if I don't have any clue what it is yet. But one thing that I do know for sure is that I'd much rather have you as a friend and ally than an enemy. So what do you say? Would you like to travel with us and help keep the world safe for whatever it is you care about?"

Hiei merely kept her stare. What was he supposed to say? He was a solitary creature. Being with one person for any amount of time tried his patience, so how was he supposed to tolerate a whole group of these conflicting personalities that she traveled with? But she was right in a way. There were certain goals that he wouldn't be able to accomplish if this Naraku gained substantial power. He couldn't allow that to happen. He could either travel with a group that could possibly strip him of his sanity to secure the future or go his own way, worry about himself, and hope for the best possible outcome. His options were clear, but his decision eluded him for the moment.

Before he could find his answer, distant shouting caught his attention. Apparently Kagome noticed the commotion as well because her face instantly lit up and she immediately took off as quickly as her legs could carry her, avoiding the obstacles in her path along the way. Hiei had started leaning towards going on his own at her abandonment before she yelled over her shoulder without slowing down, "Come on Hiei! I want you to meet everyone!"

Kagome was so happy to know that her friends were alright. And from the sounds of it, Miroku was doing something perverted again as Inuyasha yelled at him and Shippo laughed. There was one more pile of logs in front of her separating her from her makeshift family. Just as she reached the top she saw Inuyasha turn around, probably catching her scent, and she jumped off of the fallen trees, propelling herself into his arms.

Even though he had sensed her in time to catch her, Kagome had still caught Inuyasha off guard enough cause him to lose his balance and send them both falling to the muddy earth below.

Hiei came upon a scene of much rejoicing as friends were reunited, hugs were given and received, and a young fox-child pounced on a priestess who served as a surrogate mother. He apparently had some momentum behind his jump seeing as he knocked the young woman off of the half-demon and onto the ground. As the child cried and the woman comforted him, Hiei merely stood atop one of the many broken tree trunks and watched. He was still contemplating Kagome's offer. _'They're all very different, but they are still able to celebrate and fight together as though they've known each other all of their lives.'_ Could this be the one place that he could find acceptance? _'Ridiculous,'_ he thought, _'I do not need their acceptance or that of anyone else. I am doing this so that there is a world in which my goals will come to fruition.'_

The happy group of friends immediately paused and took notice of the fire apparition, in plain view for them for the first time, as he spoke in a clear but flat tone. "Priestess…I have decided to join you on this quest of yours."

~*~*~*~*~*~

AN: Well it's certainly been a while, hasn't it everyone? How are you?? I'm finally through with that god-awful Communications class I was taking and am now free for the rest of July and part of August to write to my little heart's content! I'm going to try to get as much out as I can on ALL of my stories. If I have it my way I might even finish a couple of them! Yay! I want to thank everyone who has reviewed thus far, I love hearing what you think =D I feel like I'm taking a bit of a leap having Hiei so join them this early, but I guess that's for you guys to decide. Also, for anyone who is interested in other stories of mine or crossovers in general I have another one in the wings---  
SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION:  
What I'm working on here is a crossover with a series that sadly isn't very big. It's called Ghost Hunt. It's amazing. It's 25 episodes long and all of them can be downloaded for free at . If you're interested in reading this story once I get it going (I'm still working on the first chapter which is currently at nine pages and counting) I highly suggest watching the anime. I'll provide links to character info with the story so nobody's lost, but it would be best to watch the show. The pairing will be Lin/Kagome so pay particular attention to him!

That's all for now, sorry for the long AN, and I'll talk to you guys again sometime soon!


	6. A message from your author

A message from your author:

Greetings to all! I wanted to announce my return and give everyone a heads up about the changes that I'm planning. I'm not sure if these sorts of messages are allowed to be posted as chapters, but this notice will be coming down soon.

So here's how it is:

I'm back and intend to take up writing again.

As far as the changes that I'm planning…well, short version, I'm basically going to rewrite or revise all of my chapter stories. If you like them exactly as they are now, I suggest that you save them as documents to your own computer, and I'm sorry that that particular version may remain unfinished. They will come down and/or be replaced. I estimate that these changes are going to start in the next couple of days, but I'm not sure what story they will happen to first.

If you would like a more detailed account of why I will be changing them or what kinds of changes I will be making to the individual stories, I put it all on my profile page.

I thank you for reading my works in the past, and I hope you'll stick around for the new and improved versions that will be coming soon.

All the best,  
ConsistentlyInconsistent


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